KSE President Milovanov announces how much he is ready to buy Mohyla Nuclear Power Plant – the price is outrageous
15 May 14:56
KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov has been talking about buying Kyiv-Mohyla Academy for months. This should make it more efficient, and help KSE develop more rapidly. Is this a real idea – read more in the
The private Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) is preparing a request to the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) to acquire the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
“The state has no money for the development of Mohyla Academy and decent salaries for teachers and researchers,” KSE President Tymofiy Mylovanov wrote on Facebook.
According to Tymofiy Mylovanov, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is the oldest university in Ukraine, with more than 4,700 students, according to the State Education and Research Agency. It is consistently among the top three in the Forbes Ukraine ranking of universities that provide the best training for a career in business, particularly in economics and IT. Milovanov also recalled that the Kyiv School of Economics used to be a structural part of Mohylianka.
Milovanov recalled that it was a long time ago, when Mohyla Academy was still the unique and authoritative university it is remembered for. Nowadays, he said, there are more and more opinions that “Mohylaanka is not the same anymore.” He disagrees with this approach, as he considers his alma mater (he is a graduate) to be still worthy and valuable. Milovanov assures that if the Kyiv School of Economics acquires Mohylianka, the learning environment for students will not deteriorate; on the contrary, it will become better.
At the same time, he is convinced that the necessary amount of money to buy the university can be raised through public funding. This, in his opinion, will avoid dependence on big business, oligarchs, or Western funds.
“If you think I’m making fun of Trump, I’m not! Just like Trump wants to buy Greenland, I seriously want to buy Mohylianka,“ Milovanov said.
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Does Milovanov still want to buy Mohylianka?
In a conversation with journalists, Tymofiy Mylovanov confirmed that the initiative to merge with NaUKMA remains on the agenda. At the same time, he admits that there is resistance within the Mohyla community.
“As our rector Brick says, there is resistance from Mohyla because part of the community sees a risk that KSE will absorb the academy, its culture, or do something incomprehensible with it. But we at KSE also see another risk – that in 4-5 years Mohyla Academy will lose its influence and reputation,” explains Milovanov.
According to him, the parties are afraid of the same thing – decline, but they see different ways of development.
“We are ready to unite with the community of Mohylianka residents to make Mohylianka great again. Yes, it’s annoying because of the analogy with Trump, but this phrase captures the essence well. Mohylianka was great, but it has lost its dynamism. We need to bring it back – together,” Milovanov is convinced.
According to Milovanov, KSE has not yet made an official offer to the Ministry of Education and Science to buy the university. A preliminary analysis is currently underway.
“We have commissioned a study from consultants on the pros and cons of the merger and possible models. Once we get the results, we will be able to discuss it with the public and the ministry,” says the KSE president.
Is privatization of a state university possible?
The current legislation does not allow the sale of state universities, but, according to Milovanov, the laws can be changed.
“Indeed, as Deputy Minister Vynnytsky said, state universities cannot be sold because it is prohibited by law. But the law can be changed by the Verkhovna Rada. And there is already a precedent – the experiment with KAI (Kyiv Aviation Institute),” Milovanov reminds.
He also mentioned Ksenia Semenova, who is in charge of the experiment to reform university management.
“Many people attack Ksenia because she is stirring the pot. She wants to change the system, and this always causes resistance. Because change is scary: you can lose your job, or you have to really do something. But this is the way to go,” insists Mr. Tymofiy.
Milovanov considers it a stagnant moment that Mohylianka was not included in the list of universities participating in the reform experiment.
“This is also a sign of stagnation. That is why Mr. Vynnytskyi is being a bit disingenuous when he says that nothing can be done with Mohyla. He himself is connected with Mohylianka, so it is difficult for him to be critical,” Milovanov said.
How much is KSE ready to offer for the purchase of Mohylianka?
The official amount has not yet been announced, but in a private comment exclusively to
“Hardly more, because the university is unprofitable. But if someone offered $1 billion in endowment, I think the government would not be able to refuse,” Milovanov said.
Reaction of Ukrainians: from skepticism to accusations of “black PR”
The idea of a possible purchase of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy by the Kyiv School of Economics caused a stormy reaction on social media. Many users were critical of Tymofiy Mylovanov’s statement, some even accusing him of trying to capitalize on the resonance before the admission campaign. Others suggested that Milovanov’s public statements were more of a publicity and promotional purpose than a real strategy.
“Obviously, the purpose of this provocative post is to create hype and draw attention to KSE before the admission campaign,” one commenter noted.
Some of the old graduates of Mohyla pointed out that the phrase “Mohyla is not the same anymore” is not new and appeared long before the current discussions.
“I entered Mohyla Academy in 1996, and even then people were joking that ‘Mohyla Academy is not the same anymore. It’s a meme that has been around for decades,” recalled one commentator.
However, despite the criticism, the topic provoked a wide discussion, which shows that society is not indifferent to the future of the iconic Ukrainian university.
